Own the Day

Do you ever have those days where right when you wake up in the morning, you just get this certain fire inside you and think, ‘I am gonna own this day’ ? You know, like, this day is mine for the taking, and nothing and no one is going to do anything to mess it up. Now, I definitely try and wake up every day with a positive attitude, feeling good and being motivated. But on this particular day, I woke up feeling fierce. It was my day off, the sun was out, and I was ready to have a ‘Lael’ day, meaning that I would do only things that felt good to me, and really focusing on what makes me happy. Boom. Let’s do this.

To start this soul-satisfying day, I decided I really needed some good, solid, energy boosting coffee. Not just any ol’ cup o joe, but some crank-turning, day-changing, mood-lifting coffee. Have you heard of Bulletproof coffee? I don’t even know where I heard about it, but I LOVE this recipe. It is so easy, and honestly, whenever I drink it, I seriously feel like I strapped a rocket on my back. My energy goes through the roof. It powers me through the day so effortlessly, and makes me feel great. I don’t know how it does it, but it does. So, gather the ingredients. You will need:

*Fresh ground coffee

*Virgin Coconut Oil

*Butter {Grass fed, if you have it}

Brew your coffee as you normally would. Next, in a blender, or, I use a magic bullet, add a pat of butter and a teaspoon or so of coconut oil. The recipe calls for grass-fed butter, but I only have regular, so use whatchu got. 🙂 Pour your fresh brewed coffee into the blender, and then whirl it all together for about 5 seconds.

Then, pour this delightful concoction back into your favorite coffee mug, sip and enjoy.

You will be AMAZED at how delicious and creamy and frothy it is. Coconut oil is sososososo good for you and the butter keeps you full. I usually will have this and a piece of fruit in the morning and it keep me full for hours. And again, you will not believe the energy it gives you. It’s crazy!

Coffee ritual owned? Check.

Ok, so now that we’re all on board with the whole fad coffee, time to get your tennies on, and get.outside.immediately. This gorgeous day isn’t going to wait for you forever!

Once outside, take a deeeeeep breath. Breathe in the smell of fresh cut lawns, sunshine hitting the pavement, fresh flowers blooming, and say to the Universe: Hello Universe. Thanks for loving me. Because, you know, it does.

My favorite place to run with my pup is Discovery Park. It is Seattle’s largest park, over 500 acres, and it has tons of little trails to explore. It is so green, full of trees and huge grassy areas, and it is right on the beach. Perfect.

Finley isn’t quite awake yet. I didn’t make enough coffee for him…

Now, on go the headphones, loud music for getting in the zone is on, its time to run your heart out. Time to OWN this run.

Ooooo, but wait! Quick stop to look out over the sound and give a wave to Bainbridge Island. Hi Mom! Alright, time to get back into it. There’s a trail. Oh, and it has stairs! Bonus.

This trail winds along the water, and it is breathtaking when you get a glimpse of the blue ocean. It is such a clear and warm day. One cannot help but feel inspired and grateful for this magnificence. There are signs all along the way that give you options of where to go. One is not better than the other, they are all equally wonderful. Today, hmmmmm, where should we go….

Haven’t been to the lighthouse in a while. It’s so pleasant down there, and I know Finley would love to cool his tootsies in the water. Annnnnnndddd, we’re off! Come on!!!! This is our run for the taking. Go go go.

Finally down on the beach. Finley likes to wade in and out of the water while I search for sea glass. A minor obsession of mine that I inherited from my mother, who inherited it from her mother. It is so much fun to collect, and each found piece is like a little treasure. I have sea glass from beaches on every coast, and it is so exciting every time I find one. Lots of treasures today!

Ah, the lighthouse. So purdy.

See these bushes bordering the beach? They are blackberry bushes. In summer, they explode with berries. They are alllllll over the park and it is satisfying to pop a ripe blackberry in your mouth on a hot summer day. I usually come down and pick them here to make my annual summer blackberry pie. But that is for a future post. 🙂 Alright, I think we have collected enough glass for the day and rested just long enough. Time for one last push before our run is done. Back up the trail we go.

Now that we have completed our run, it is time to relax, sit down and take in all this beauty. Oh, Seattle, I just….well, you know.

Soul-satisfying and rockin run? Check.

Alright, now that my run is complete, it’s time to get on home and make my favorite meal: Quinoa casserole. I have been making this dish for years now, and I never get sick of it. It is the perfect meal to make at the beginning of a busy week when you know you won’t have much time to cook. Healthy, gluten free, vegetarian and full of flavor- what’s not to love?

Let’s get cookin.

Measure out a 1 and 1/2 cups of quinoa, and cook according to package.

Meanwhile, chop up 3 cloves of garlic, 2 cups each of broccoli and cauliflower florets, and one carton of mushrooms.

Grab a saute pan, and heat up about 4 tablespoons of oil and add your garlic. Mmmmmm, it already smells good.

Allow that to cook for only about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn! Then add all your veggies.

You may need to add more oil, as the veggies soak up a lot of what we started with. Then, season with salt and pepper, and chili flakes. Make sure to add enough seasoning- the ingredients in this dish don’t bring much flavor on their own so it’s up to you to add all the zing! 🙂 Stir and allow the veggies to soften up. In a separate large bowl, whisk together one cup of milk and 2 eggs.

Now add everything together. Pour the quinoa into the bowl along with the sauteed veggies. Looks good already, right?

So, this is looking a leeeeeeeetle too healthy, so let’s add some cheese. A BIG handful of sharp cheddar.

Much better. Get everything mixed together really well, and pour into a greased pan, like so. Then top the casserole with more cheese, because what is a casserole without melted cheese on top?!?! And come on, you only live once. Eat some cheese.

Pop that bad boy into a preheated oven at 375* and set your timer for 30 minutes.

While your waiting for your yummy dinner, get your kitchen all cleaned up. It’s so much better to get this part over with so you can just relax and not have the dread of doing dishes after your meal. Come on, come on, here we go. 1 dish, 2 dish, 3 dish. DINNGGGGGGG!!! There’s the timer. Your home is filled with delicious aromas, your floors are all warm from the oven, and now your kitchen is spotless. Nice job.

Flavorful and filling healthy meal complete? Check.

Ahhhhh. Now, go and enjoy a nice big spoonful of homemade goodness. And don’t forget to give thanks for another day to move your body, get outside, enjoy delicious food, and own your day. Yessssssss!